A Curved Holiday Home Nestles Into a Spectacular Clifftop in New Zealand
Belinda George Architects crafts a family "bach" on New Zealand’s North Island that celebrates the native bush and outdoor living.
Belinda George Architects crafts a family "bach" on New Zealand’s North Island that celebrates the native bush and outdoor living.
On a spectacular site near Matapouri in Northland—a subtropical region on the tip of New Zealand’s North Island—architect Belinda George has crafted a retreat for a father and his three daughters. The small bach—a type of holiday home in New Zealand—is a perfect arc that reimagines how interior space relates to the outdoors.
It was essential that the home felt nestled into the landscape, rather than perched on the edge of the dramatic clifftop site. "My client had commissioned a house design that was rejected by members of his family—the formidable force that is his sisters," says architect Belinda George. "They felt the site deserved a more considered approach. As I had worked for Tom before on more urban projects, he asked me to design a bach for him and his family. He wanted it to feel relaxed and connected to the land."
Simon Devitt
"The client, Tom, has a particular attachment to the land because this is where he grew up," says George. "He and his five siblings roamed the farmland where this site is for many years, and the land was eventually carved up into sections for the siblings. The rest of the land was returned to native bush, and the family has completed a huge regenerative planting program."
A shingle roof is "draped" over the curved structure, connecting the interior and covered outdoor spaces. The shingles are crafted from Alaskan yellow cedar, which doesn’t require any treatment. The home operates off the grid, so rainwater is collected from the roof for drinking.
Simon Devitt
The site is on a cliff edge looking out to the ocean—but also into a beautiful stand of native bush. Tom was insistent that both the bush and the sea view be acknowledged in the design, which led to the distinctive circular form.
"The curve actually turns its back on the sea and focuses the attention on anchoring the house into the hillside as a counterbalance to the precarious position of inhabiting a clifftop," says George. "The challenge was to make the house dramatic and memorable, yet sympathetic to the surrounding farmland—particularly from the sea."
The home features more covered deck space than interior living space, evoking a feeling of living in the landscape.
Simon Devitt
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Curved Holiday Home Nestles Into a Spectacular Clifftop in New Zealand
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